Hottest Weather In Two Years By Steve MacLaughlin

August is here and so too is the hottest weather since the summer of 2006. Historically, this is the hottest time of the year in North Texas until August 13th when the average high and low begin dropping off a bit.

Including Sunday, we have hit the triple digits 23 times. Our current heat wave is up to 10 consecutive days. Sunday’s high of 107 was no doubt the hottest of this summer and of 2008, but it also broke the daily record for August 3rd which was 105 set a decade ago back in 1998. The last time DFW got up to 107 was on July 18th, 2006.

In 2006, we ended up with 41 total days at or above 100 degrees and at one point, 19 in a row. While we are making a run at 2006, 1980 is still seemingly unreachable: 69 total days in the triple digits; 42 straight including every single July day; the hottest two days ever at 113 degrees.

While 1980 is no doubt the “summer” everyone will remember, the hottest year on record from start to finish was 2006. Thru August 2nd, the average temperature was an incredible 70.1 degrees. The second warmest year is now 2008 if you average out the high and low from January 1st thru August 2nd. That number is 69.0 degrees and still climbing as long as this heat wave continues.

While the days have been hot, the nights have been approaching records of their own. Including Sunday morning, the overnight low temperature has been 80 degrees or warmer 23 days, many of those being daily records. That ties 2006 for second place on the all-time list. In 1998, we had 39 days that did not get below 80 and that is the record for DFW Airport.

While the heat is one story, another story is resurfacing, and that is the drought. This July had less than an inch of rain which is less than half of what we expect. June and July combined this year for 1.65″; normally we should have over 5″. 2007 had an astounding 16.64″ in June and July and we still hadn’t hit 100 degrees as a result of all the rain. How dry has it been this year compared to last year? We have seen less rain all year (16.35″) than last June and July alone and that is about 5″ below normal. Over the last 365 days we are also running about 6″ below normal with 28.78″ total. In other words, since the rain stopped last August after not stopping at all for several months prior, we have been getting right back into the deficit that we were in a couple of years ago.

So, is there any good news today? Yes – Labor Day is a month away, and after that, autumn and winter – So we just need to hang in there for the cooler air and some much needed fall rain.